Cong rejects slugfest over Rajya Sabha seat in Kerala

Thiruvananthapuram, June 9: The Kerala Pradesh Congress committee on Saturday downplayed the protest among party workers over its decision to forgo a Rajya Sabha seat in favour of the Kerala Congress, which returned to the UDF coalition after a gap of two years.

The seat is currently held by Rajya Sabha deputy chairman P. J. Kurien of the Congress, who is set to retire on July 1.

However, rumblings in the party over the issue continued with former KPCC president V. M. Sudheeran and Kurien voicing their protest.

Addressing a press meet at the party headquarters here, KPCC president M. M. Hassan said the protest over the decision was natural in a democratic party, but cautioned that it should not cross limits.

He said the party leadership also understood the workers’ sentiments and their pain over the decision. “We are also pained by the decision... But it was taken with a view to strengthening the party- led UDF and democratic forces to take on the BJP and LDF in the state,” Mr Hassan said, responding to a question on the issue.

The Congress party would issue a whip asking its MLAs to vote for Jose K. Mani, the Rajya Sabha candidate of the K M Mani- led KC( M).

However, the KPCC chief admitted that the KC( M) insisted on the seat as a condition for its re- entry into the UDF fold. It was widely expected that the Congress would put up its own candidate for the seat, currently held by Kurien.